This was pretty cool to see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om6yTgwvNQs&feature=youtu.be&spfreload=10

AKT

made good use of the runway! impressive machine, or is rocket a better term?

Even big boys can land pretty slow and use a little ground effect on takeoff.

So why did the Pacer have a problem?

Tim

Turboprops do better than most people think as long as the grass is fairly smooth. 15 years ago my brother and a friend of mine flew a B100 King Air off the 2000 ft grass runway in Cadillac MI which I admit is at lower elevation, 1307 ft, but there were 30 ft pine trees at the 3500 ft or so point for a couple of months while the main runway was being rebuilt, and did a few trips with a long body big motor MU2 with 10 people and fuel to Chicago (30min plus reserve). We were talking about it the other day when a student ask my friend about twins on grass. The biggest problem with the MU2 was the small nose wheels made the ride very ruff till the nose was off. The trick is to know the speed for what you weigh and fly the speed. On speed means on speed not ad 10 for grandma and then bracket that speed + or - 5.

Tim

From the eyewitness report he seems to have been going too fast and bounced too many times and tried to go around. Trying to, or having to, get up quickly on a go around often results in a worse situation than just landing the airplane. Instructors and pilots with experience have a responsibility to teach a slow power/pitch approach that results in a soft touchdown near the beginning of the landing zone. The fast approach, round out, hold off, and flair technique taught for long runways is a harder technique to learn and does not work well in all landing zones. Holding off and waiting/floating tends to cause distress and tension in the best of conditions. Lots of airplanes along the side, lots of hill ahead, drainage a bit wooded and crooked.